How to choose the right processor for your laptop

With highly evolving computer technology,
computer accessories are being invented at a tremendous rate.

The specifications and technology employed makes the processor of a laptop adaptable to various requirements. But not all work can be done with the same processor. A processor specification may be exact or below necessary limits depending upon the type of work carried out in the device. The speed and performance of a laptop is determined by the capability of the processor. High processor speed is required for graphic intensive tasks like 3D gaming, video designing and multimedia editing.

How to choose a Processor

The processor has a huge impact on the performance of the device. Having said that, choosing the right speed becomes a matter of prime importance while purchasing a laptop. A key consideration to make when deciding on the processor speed is the amount of time you intend to be plugged in on an average. This is because; the processor has influence on the power consumed. Ultra-low voltage processors help save battery life.

Clock Speed

The clock speed is the basic measuring factor for processor speed. This denotes the frequency with which the electrical oscillations impact the processor. These oscillations are in turn utilized by the processor to perform calculations. Almost all laptop processors available nowadays have the speed measured in Gigahertz.

Threads

The core and threads are responsible for providing computational bandwidth of a processor. A processor with hyper threading feature can speed up the process by creating simultaneous threads. Clocking speed and methodology also define the processor speed.

Overclocking

Overclocking pushes the processor speed to the highest level. But on the other hand, overclocking can lead to increased power consumption which in turn increases heat emission from the laptop. Also the clocking speed depends upon the thermal cooling system of the laptop where the CPU is to be deployed. Hence the same processing speed of a computer CPU can perform better in a device with a good cooling system.

Things you will need to consider

What you plan to do with the laptop for next five years

Applications that will be used often

The frequency of high end graphics and high definition gaming usage

Number of years the laptop will be used on a daily basis

Number of cores

The number of cores in a processor has a larger effect on its processing speed. Nowadays, the processors available in market are provided with multiple cores inside them. This means that a single processing chip can contain multiple processing chips inside it. Hence it is tough to compare between a single processor which runs at 5 GHz and two processors which run simultaneously at 2.5 GHz. On a general note, multi processor CPU is better for multi tasking.